NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
March 3, 2008
COEBURN MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON OF HIGH KNOB OBSERVATION TOWER
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Nicholas Owens, age, 22, of Coeburn, Virginia, was charged in a criminal complaint with Arson on Government Property in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon on February 27, 2008.
“The senseless destruction of such a beloved and historic structure is a tragedy for the entire community,” said U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee today. “I am grateful to the men and women of law enforcement who investigated this important case and have brought this defendant to justice.”
The charges leveled against Owens stem from a 2007 Halloween night fire that destroyed the High Knob Observation Tower and a restroom building at the Hanging Rock Recreation area in Wise County, Virginia.
According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Owens allegedly set fire to both structures in the early morning hours of October 31, 2007. The two fires destroyed both the High Knob Observation Tower and the nearby bathroom facility.
Owens was charged and released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. He will next appear in court in Abingdon for a preliminary hearing on March 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer will prosecute the case for the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia.
A complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.